I love when Blessing brings wonderful health tips to She Inspires. Today's produce tips are perfect, especially since I tend to have trouble picking the perfect produce at times.
Image: Rodale
Do you struggle with eating healthy throughout the year? If so, you don’t have much of an excuse during the summer! Why? Because there are many nutrient-dense, low-calorie options at your local farmers market or grocery store. Summer is the season for berries (blue berries, strawberries) melons (watermelon, cantaloupe and honey dew), salad greens (arugula, Swiss chard and spinach) and so much more.
Shopping for ripe
produce can be tricky if you don’t know what to look for. During the summer
many different types of fruits and vegetables are in season and if you’re not
familiar with them it can be tricky.
It can be
challenging to pick fresh produce that is ripe and taste great. So how exactly
do you find the best produce out there? Here are some simple tricks for making
your produce shopping experience less intimidating.
The first thing you should do is write a
list. Write down the
type of produce you want to buy and separate them into different categories. Then
shop your list, this will help prevent produce overwhelm. Here are a list of 4
questions you should ask yourself when buying produce.
How Does It Look?
It is important to observe produce for bruising, signs of spoilage, ripeness and overall health. For example, dark leafy greens should be dark green and full, if the leaves are yellow or light green or the greens are starting to thin out keep looking.
How does it smell?
The smell of produce can tell you if the produce is ripe, unripe or if it’s starting to spoil. For example, fruits like peaches are ripe they have a light sweet fruity scent.
How does it feel?
The way produce feels tells you a lot about the fruit or vegetable. For example, fruits should be plump and soft to touch (but not mushy). Melons and other fruits should not have soft spots or bruising.
How does it sound?
This applies to a types of melons, when you tap a watermelon you should hear a hollow sound. If it sounds hollow then it is ripe and ready to eat.
Here are some key points that relate to all
types of produce:
-Make sure your
produce is fresh
-Make sure your
produce doesn’t smell like its spoiling
-Make sure your
produce doesn’t have any mold or
anything growing on it
-Make sure your
produce isn’t too soft or bruised
-Make sure your
produce isn’t browning
Shopping for fresh
produce that is in season doesn’t have to be an overwhelming experience and
these simple tricks should make your shopping experience more enjoyable.